4 & 5-year-olds (approximate ages: each child is unique)
The spoken language is made up of individual and separate sounds, which when recognized are referred to as phonological awareness. It is important to help develop this skill in early readers so they are ready to read when they begin school.
Research has shown that children who play with rhymes and the sounds of words in their preschool years are better prepared to read when they get to school. In fact, if children in the early elementary school years are having trouble reading, it is likely that the difficulty lies with this skill.
Early readers like books that:
- tell stories that they can memorize.
- help tell or even re-enact; scary stories and funny stories;
- tell stories that encourage their developing imaginations.
They like books that play with words and sounds.